Bio:

Sira’eleous Aermorali’is (Shortened to ‘Cyril’ by most non-elves) is a half-elf, with an elven father and human mother. Raised by his mother in a predominantly human town, he gained an apprenticeship at the guild of armourers, locksmiths & finesmiths. He’s a competent locksmith but his real passion is in silversmithing and he took a lot of pride in the quality of the work he could produce – brooches, rings, necklaces and so forth. His work was prized not only in his hometown but when trading with nearby settlements as well.
On his 25th birthday, he joined a guild trade caravan heading off to the distant forest city of his father’s birth, or at least where he believed it to be. The trip took several weeks and he was excited to show off some of his wares and perhaps even find his father to demonstrate what a skilled craftsman he had become. When he arrived, however, he was humbled by the beauty of all the work produced by elven goldsmiths and silversmiths and felt ridiculous for thinking his own work would measure up. One of his guildmates found his father’s address but Sira’eleous was too ashamed to go and meet him…

Sira’eleous returned home at the end of the trade mission utterly dejected. He decided after a long period of reflection that the only way he was ever going to realise his true potential as a craftsman was to get out of his hometown and into the world. He had no real aptitude with sword and shield, no magic in his blood and no wilderness survival skills, yet he knew the world was a dangerous place. In a moment of stupidity and desperation, he took out a forbidden book from the library and started to study its contents. Taking it to a secluded area of the woodland, he chanted the phrases and performed the rites within and summoned a strange sylvan creature that turned its attention upon him. It agreed to give him the power he sought but told him the price would be high. He agreed immediately without hearing the terms.

When he went back to town, he sought out the young human woman he’d been courting who worked as a gemcutter at the local jewellers. She wasn’t at work and when he went to her home, he found her sobbing her eyes out. Her skin was haggard and aged and she looked like she was 80 or 90 years old instead of the 22 that she really was. He felt the knowledge in his mind solidify that this was his price – anybody he loved romantically would have their beauty stripped away. He promised his beloved that he would do whatever it took to bring back her beauty, but his promises were for nothing. Three days later, she took her own life.

With his newfound power and no reason to stay in his hometown anymore, Sira’eleous has set off to see the world and find his inspiration. His travels have brought him to a strange new land and alongside some unlikely companions, he looks to the future.